David Bianculli

They consumed it all, from the Waltons to Watergate coverage, and lots and lots of news about Richard Nixon and Vietnam and George Wallace and Attica. They also watched American football games and beauty pageants. And in one of Lennon's first local radio appearances after arriving, he responded to a phone-in caller by demonstrating his familiarity with televised beauty pageants.

They consumed it all, from the Waltons to Watergate coverage, and lots and lots of news about Richard Nixon and Vietnam and George Wallace and Attica. They also watched American football games and beauty pageants. And in one of Lennon's first local radio appearances after arriving, he responded to a phone-in caller by demonstrating his familiarity with televised beauty pageants.

They consumed it all, from the Waltons to Watergate coverage, and lots and lots of news about Richard Nixon and Vietnam and George Wallace and Attica. They also watched American football games and beauty pageants. And in one of Lennon's first local radio appearances after arriving, he responded to a phone-in caller by demonstrating his familiarity with televised beauty pageants.

He fell in with activists like Jerry Rubin and appeared and performed at a rally protesting the 10-year sentence of another activist, John Sinclair, for a minor drug possession. But after agreeing to headline a series of national protest tour dates leading up to the 1972 national political conventions, Lenin backed off because he sensed the leaders of that movement were advocating violence.

He fell in with activists like Jerry Rubin and appeared and performed at a rally protesting the 10-year sentence of another activist, John Sinclair, for a minor drug possession. But after agreeing to headline a series of national protest tour dates leading up to the 1972 national political conventions, Lenin backed off because he sensed the leaders of that movement were advocating violence.

He fell in with activists like Jerry Rubin and appeared and performed at a rally protesting the 10-year sentence of another activist, John Sinclair, for a minor drug possession. But after agreeing to headline a series of national protest tour dates leading up to the 1972 national political conventions, Lenin backed off because he sensed the leaders of that movement were advocating violence.

Even so, Lennon's activities got him singled out by the Nixon administration, which threatened to deport him and installed listening devices on his phone. And just as President Nixon ended up secretly taping his own White House conversations, John Lennon ended up taping his own phone calls, too.

Even so, Lennon's activities got him singled out by the Nixon administration, which threatened to deport him and installed listening devices on his phone. And just as President Nixon ended up secretly taping his own White House conversations, John Lennon ended up taping his own phone calls, too.

Even so, Lennon's activities got him singled out by the Nixon administration, which threatened to deport him and installed listening devices on his phone. And just as President Nixon ended up secretly taping his own White House conversations, John Lennon ended up taping his own phone calls, too.

From heated talks with his then-manager to casual chats with friends, they provide some of the best moments in this documentary – In this call, which is loaded with suspicious static, a reporter asks about the wiretap rumors.

From heated talks with his then-manager to casual chats with friends, they provide some of the best moments in this documentary – In this call, which is loaded with suspicious static, a reporter asks about the wiretap rumors.

From heated talks with his then-manager to casual chats with friends, they provide some of the best moments in this documentary – In this call, which is loaded with suspicious static, a reporter asks about the wiretap rumors.

Eventually, John and Yoko find yet another cause by watching TV. After seeing a news report by ABC correspondent Geraldo Rivera exposing the terrible treatment of young disabled patients at Willowbrook State Development Center, John and Yoko decide to hold a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, just as fellow Beatle George Harrison had done the year before with his concert for Bangladesh.

Eventually, John and Yoko find yet another cause by watching TV. After seeing a news report by ABC correspondent Geraldo Rivera exposing the terrible treatment of young disabled patients at Willowbrook State Development Center, John and Yoko decide to hold a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, just as fellow Beatle George Harrison had done the year before with his concert for Bangladesh.

Eventually, John and Yoko find yet another cause by watching TV. After seeing a news report by ABC correspondent Geraldo Rivera exposing the terrible treatment of young disabled patients at Willowbrook State Development Center, John and Yoko decide to hold a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, just as fellow Beatle George Harrison had done the year before with his concert for Bangladesh.

They called theirs the One to One Concert, and this film plays many songs from that show full length. Imagine, Instant Karma, and Mother, a searingly emotional song about John feeling abandoned by his parents, a father who left and a mother who died. And even a Beatles song, to which Lennon adds an overt message of opposition to the Vietnam War, to the audience's obvious delight.

They called theirs the One to One Concert, and this film plays many songs from that show full length. Imagine, Instant Karma, and Mother, a searingly emotional song about John feeling abandoned by his parents, a father who left and a mother who died. And even a Beatles song, to which Lennon adds an overt message of opposition to the Vietnam War, to the audience's obvious delight.

They called theirs the One to One Concert, and this film plays many songs from that show full length. Imagine, Instant Karma, and Mother, a searingly emotional song about John feeling abandoned by his parents, a father who left and a mother who died. And even a Beatles song, to which Lennon adds an overt message of opposition to the Vietnam War, to the audience's obvious delight.

Sean Ono Lennon is one of this documentary's executive producers, which may explain why some of the more unflattering details from the period are omitted or downplayed. But Yoko gets her due here, as she should, as an artist in her own right, and as the victim of some awful treatment by Beatles fans and the press.

Sean Ono Lennon is one of this documentary's executive producers, which may explain why some of the more unflattering details from the period are omitted or downplayed. But Yoko gets her due here, as she should, as an artist in her own right, and as the victim of some awful treatment by Beatles fans and the press.